Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier earned her third consecutive All-WNBA First Team selection on Friday.
The 29-year-old had arguably the best season of her career, averaging 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks a night. She finished second in MVP voting for the second straight year, despite missing a quarter of the season. She was also named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team along with teammate Alanna Smith, who won Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
Collier and the Lynx fell short of their goal of a championship, losing in the semifinals to the Phoenix Mercury. Collier got injured in that series, and Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve earned a suspension for a postgame diatribe about refereeing in the WNBA.
“Whether the league cares about the health of the players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self-sabotage,” Collier said. “Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is a lack of accountability from our leaders.”
Engelbert and Collier were set to meet in person after the season, but Collier canceled the meeting, Associated Press sources said. The tension between the commissioner and one of the league’s biggest stars comes amid negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement.
Joining Collier on the All-WNBA First Team are Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream, Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever, Alyssa Thomas of the Phoenix Mercury and A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, who also won MVP and Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
Note: The video above originally aired Oct. 6, 2025.
Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier turned her end-of-season interview on Tuesday into a passionate and bold critique of the WNBA leadership, and referees for losing control of games.
“We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But right now, we have the worst leadership in the world,” Collier said.
In her four-minute statement, Collier described an interaction she had with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in February in which she asked how the league planned to address officiating issues.
According to Collier, Engelbert responded that “only the losers complain about the refs.”
Collier also asked about how young players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, “who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years.”
“Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything,” Engelbert reportedly told Collier.
“The real threat to our league isn’t money, it isn’t ratings, or even missed calls, or even physical play. It’s the lack of accountability from the league office,” Collier said. “Since I’ve been in the league, you’ve heard the constant concerns about officiating, and it has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity in which it operates.”
The Lynx were considered the best team in the league this season, but their dreams of a championship ended on Sunday with a loss in Game 4 of the semifinals to the Phoenix Mercury.
Christian Petersen / Getty Images
Collier missed the game after she was injured late in the fourth quarter of Game 3. She was tangled with Alyssa Thomas, who stole the ball from her near the three-point line, and no foul was called on the play.
Collier, who was the runner-up for MVP this season, hurt her ankle and was helped to the locker room.
“Whether the league cares about the health of the players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self sabotage,” Collier said. “Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is a lack of accountability from our leaders.”
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Engelbert said she is “disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver.”
Collier’s teammates were aware she was going to issue the statement, “and we back everything Phee said,” Alanna Smith told reporters.
Head Coach Cheryl Reeve also said she supported Collier.
“Who Phee has become as a player and a person in this league is really important,” Reeve said. “Her voice is important.”
Reeve was suspended from Game 4 and fined $15,000 for her “conduct and comments” during Game 3, which included “aggressively pursuing and verbally abusing a game official on the court,” the league said in a statement.
“The officiating crew that we had tonight — for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff worthy — is (expletive) malpractice,” Reeve said in a postgame press conference.
Assistant coaches Eric Thibault and Rebekkah Brunson were also fined. Collier said the fines ignore the real problems.
“I’m sure they will fine me. I mean, it seems like anything with free speech is fined now,” Collier said.
On Tuesday, Reeve said that “being a principled person, there are things that I care deeply about. And that’s my players’ health and safety. That’s the fairness to our organization. And when those things are challenged, if I’m not going to speak up, who is going to?”
Collier also shared more details on her ankle injury on Tuesday: she tore a couple ligaments and would not have been able to play in the finals.
The top-seeded Minnesota Lynx were beaten by the Mercury 84-76 in Game 3 on Friday night, leaving Phoenix in control of their WNBA playoff semifinals series.
Satou Sabally scored 23 points for the Mercury in the game — including 15 in a stellar fourth quarter.
Phoenix has a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series and can reach the Finals on Sunday with a win in Game 4 in Phoenix.
Sabally hit a 3-pointer to give the Mercury a 78-76 lead with 3:05 remaining and added two free throws with 2:01 left to push the advantage to 80-76. Alyssa Thomas had a steal and layup with 21.8 seconds left that sealed the win.
A furious Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve was ejected following the layup after getting her second technical foul.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – SEPTEMBER 26: Head coach Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx is restrained by coaches after being ejected during the second half of Game Three of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury at PHX Arena on September 26, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Christian Petersen / Getty Images
Napheesa Collier also got hurt on the play, rolling her ankle. She had to be helped to the locker room.
Thomas and Kahleah Copper both scored 21 points, highlighting a balanced Mercury offense. It was a tight game throughout with 15 lead changes.
Minnesota was led by Natisha Hiedeman’s 19 points off the bench. Collier added 17 points on 8 of 15 shooting while Courtney Williams added 14.
Minnesota trailed by four at halftime but rallied for a 67-63 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The 5-foot-8 Heideman gave the Lynx a big boost in the final five minutes of the third, scoring eight points.
The Mercury bounced back from an early deficit, shooting 54.3 % from the field in the first half to take a 48-44 halftime lead. Copper had 17 points before the break on 8 of 9 shooting while Thomas added 11 points and 5 rebounds. Minnesota was led by Collier’s 13 points.
The Mercury were riding high coming into Game 3 after a 20-point comeback win in Tuesday’s Game 2 that evened the series. It was tied for the third-largest comeback in WNBA playoff history.
Note: The above video first aired on Sept. 9, 2025
Satou Sabally scored 11 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter and Alyssa Thomas had 19 points and 13 assists to help the Phoenix Mercury erase a 20-point deficit and beat the Minnesota Lynx 89-83 in overtime on Tuesday night, tying the WNBA semifinal series at one game apiece.
Sami Whitcomb’s 3-pointer from the wing with 4 seconds left in regulation evened the game at 79 after Thomas kept alive the possession following Whitcomb’s airballed 3 from the top of the key, and Napheesa Collier’s 18-footer for the win fell short at the buzzer to force extra time.
Thomas, who had a triple-double in the decisive Game 3 victory in the first round that ousted defending champion New York, grabbed eight rebounds and ignited the rally with her intensity after a lackluster first half. Her three-point play with 3:32 left in the fourth quarter ended a stretch of 33:28 during which the top-seeded Lynx had the lead.
Collier scored 24 points on her 29th birthday, Kayla McBride had 21 points and Courtney Williams added 20 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals for the Lynx, whose bench was outscored 25-3.
The Mercury, who played their fourth game in seven days, will host Game 3 of the best-of-five series on Friday night.
DiJonai Carrington’s season is over after spraining her left foot in the first round of the playoffs, the Minnesota Lynx announced Saturday night.
Carrington left in the fourth quarter of the Lynx’s 75-74 victory over Golden State in Game 2 on Wednesday night and did not return. The guard was wearing a walking boot on her left foot when she attended a news conference for Co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith.
“After undergoing an MRI, Carrington was evaluated by team physician Dr. Elena Jelsing at Mayo Clinic Square, where a significant mid-foot sprain was confirmed,” the team said in a statement.
Minnesota faces Phoenix in a best-of-five series that begins on Sunday.
Carrington averaged 8.6 points in 11 games for the Lynx after coming over to the team in a trade from Dallas on Aug. 3.
The Minnesota Lynx’s Alanna Smith was voted WNBA Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday, sharing the award with Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson.
Each player received 29 votes from the 72 media members who participated. It’s the first time the award, first given out in the WNBA’s inaugural season in 1997, went to more than one player.
The Lynx led the WNBA with 97.5 points per 100 possessions. Smith was second in combined steals and blocks with 135 and third in average blocks with 1.9 and total blocks with 80, both career highs. The total blocks set a franchise record for the Lynx.
Minnesota held opponents to 76.7 points per game on 42.3% shooting.
She is the second Minnesota player in a row to at least share this award. Napheesa Collier was voted the league’s top defensive player in 2024, making the Lynx the first team to have two different players win the award in consecutive seasons.
Wilson, who also won the award in 2022 and 2023, tied Sheryl Swoopes for the third-highest number of times capturing top defensive player. Tamika Catchings owns the record with five and Sylvia Fowles is next with four, two of which she won with Minnesota.
Wilson led the league with 2.3 blocks per game, was third with 7.9 defensive rebounds per game and finished fourth with an average of 1.6 steals.
Wilson and Collier are the front-runners for MVP, so whether the defensive player voting was any kind of harbinger for what could be a close vote remains to be seen. That award will be announced Sunday.
The Lynx captured the top seed for the playoffs, and the Aces were second. The Lynx dispatched the Golden State Valkyries in the first round and await their second-round opponent.
Wilson and Smith were far ahead of the others in votes for top defender. Seattle’s Gabby Williams was third with nine votes, Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas had three and Collier two.
Napheesa Collier made a go-ahead 18-footer with 1:24 left on the way to 24 points, and the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx rallied from a 17-point, third-quarter deficit to beat the Golden State Valkyries 75-74 on Wednesday night and move on in the WNBA playoffs.
Collier shot 10 for 16 and followed up her 20-point performance in Game 1 with a 14-point second half to bring her team back — and give the Lynx another chance to keep chasing that championship they just missed last year.
The Valkyries had one final chance with four seconds remaining following a shot-clock violation, and Cecilia Zandalasini couldn’t convert a jumper.
Kayla McBride made a go-ahead scoop shot for Minnesota with 2:48 to go after DiJonai Carrington connected on a 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:18 remaining to pull Minnesota within 70-69. McBride wound up with 18 points
Veronica Burton had 13 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals as the expansion Valkyries nearly extended their special season. Monique Billings scored 15 points off the bench.
Carrington banked in a 3-pointer with 8:30 left that got the Lynx within 63-56 and McBride’s jumper made it a five-point game at the 7:19 mark before Golden State called timeout. The Valkyries immediately committed a shot-clock violation and McBride scored again.
Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half of Game 2 in the first round of the WNBA basketball playoffs against the Golden State Valkyries, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in San Jose, Calif.
Godofredo A. Vásquez / AP
The Valkyries, cheered by their raucous sellout crowd of 18,543, were in control for much of the game — unlike their 101-72 Game 1 defeat Sunday.
Billings rebounded her own miss just before the third-quarter buzzer, scored and converted a three-point play to put Golden State ahead 63-49 going into the final 10 minutes. But Minnesota kept creeping back.
After the final buzzer, fans chanted “GSV!” to celebrate a season in which Golden State made WNBA history by becoming the first expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season.
And the Valkyries were unfazed playing in an unfamiliar venue for their first postseason home game. That “Balhalla” home-court advantage had to relocate nearly 50 miles south to the NHL San Jose Sharks’ SAP Center because the Laver Cup tennis showcase had booked Chase Center before Golden State had even been granted an expansion team.
Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski was one of the biggest supporters, sitting courtside with owner Joe Lacob and Warriors President Brandon Schneider.
Golden State lost all four regular-season meetings, three by double figures, so this one will both sting and show these women how close they are. Starting center Temi Fagbenle was a late scratch Wednesday because of right knee pain.
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase was recognized before the game as WNBA Coach of the Year and Burton the league’s most improved player.
NOTE: The original airdate of the video attached to this article is Sept. 14, 2025.
The fans at SAP Center in San Jose brought their A game Wednesday night as they watched the Valkyries play their first home playoff game.
The Valkyries came out fighting but just couldn’t hold the lead at the end, bringing a historic inaugural season to an end with a 75-74 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
SAP Center was their home away from home, but fans brought the Ballhalla mentality to the South Bay.
It’s about 50 miles from Chase Center, and you could tell it took some fans a while to get to San Jose. There were a few empty seats at tip-off, but when fans arrived, the place was loud and filled with Ballhalla energy.
There was no way season ticket holder Marci Glass was missing the Valkyries’ first home playoff game in franchise history, even if it’s a bit farther away from home.
“I’m glad I don’t have to do it every week, but the team needed me,” Glass said. “I had to come down and cheer them on.”
Because of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at Chase Center, the Valkyries transformed the House of Teal into Violet Wonderland.
“It’s sort of like we brought Chase energy down here,” said Glass. “There’s a lot of familiar faces. I think a lot of people came down.”
Marci brought her Aunt Jane to her first-ever Valkyries game, all decked out in violet sparkles.
“It’s perfect for me,” said Jane Krejci. “It’s 20 minutes from my house.”
Krejci played high school hoops and is amazed by how far the women’s game has come.
“I’m so excited it’s a women’s team and the encouragement, especially for young girls and women, is just thrilling,” she said. “Because you know, when I was in high school, it was when you had three on each side. You couldn’t play the whole court. We’ve come a long way.”
Despite the loss, Marci said this season exceeded her expectations.
“Honestly, seeing all the little girls and little boys, seeing women succeed on a big stage like that, I didn’t get to see that when I was a little kid,” Glass said. “So it’s been really healing, actually.”
Napheesa Collier scored 20 points to lead five players in double figures and the Minnesota Lynx breezed to a 101-72 victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday in Game 1 of the best-of-three first-round WNBA series.
Collier hit 7 of 11 shots with a 3-pointer and all five of her free throws, adding six rebounds.
Natisha Hiedeman made two 3-pointers and scored 18 for the Lynx, while Kayla McBride added 17. Jessica Shepard had 12 points and eight rebounds and Courtney Williams pitched in with 11 points and four steals.
Veronica Burton and Cecilia Zandalasini both scored 14 to lead Golden State. Burton added seven assists and three steals but also had seven of the Valkyries’ 16 turnovers. Janelle Salaün had 13 points and eight rebounds and Temi Fágbénlé scored 12 before fouling out.
Burton hit two 3-pointers for Golden State in an 11-4 run to start the game and the Valkyries led 28-21 after one quarter.
McBride had two baskets in a 12-3 run to begin the second period and Minnesota moved in front 33-31. McBride had 14 points by halftime and Collier scored 11 for a 47-39 lead.
Alanna Smith hit a 3-pointer with 8:47 left in the third quarter for a 52-42 advantage and Minnesota led by double digits the rest of the way. DiJonai Carrington sank two 3-pointers and Williams hit one in the final 70 seconds as the Lynx took a 79-58 lead into the final period.
The Valkyries are still looking for their first win over the Lynx in their first year in the league after losing all four regular-season matchups — three by double digits.
Minnesota’s 34-10 record led the league. Golden State will host Game 2 on Wednesday.
NOTE: The original airdate of the video attached to this article is Sept. 9, 2025.
Natisha Hiedeman scored 21 points, Napheesa Collier had 19 and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Golden State Valkyries 72-53 on Thursday night to set a franchise record with 34 wins.
Minnesota (34-10) had already cliched home-court advantage in the playoffs, locking up the No. 1 seed with a win over Connecticut last week. The Lynx tied the 2023 Las Vegas Aces for the most regular-season wins in WNBA history.
Golden State (23-21) dropped to the No. 8 seed in the playoffs and will play Minnesota again on Sunday to begin a best-of-three series.
Collier finished the regular season shooting 53% from the field, 40.3% from 3-point range and 91% from the free-throw line to join Elena Delle Donne (in 2019) as the only players in WNBA history to have a 50/40/90 season.
Jessica Shepard had 11 points and 14 rebounds for Minnesota. DiJonai Carrington (shoulder) missed her fourth straight game.
Iliana Rupert, Veronica Burton, Kaila Charles and Cecilia Zandalasini each scored eight points to lead Golden State.
Minnesota led 17-8 after the first quarter as Golden State was just 4 of 18 (22.2%) from the field, including 0 for 7 behind the arc. The Lynx held a 34-22 advantage at halftime behind 12 points from Collier.
The Valkyries missed their first 17 3-pointers before Rupert made one on back-to-back possession to cut Minnesota’s lead to 45-41 with 1:28 left in the third.
Minnesota opened the fourth on a 12-0 run to extend its lead to 59-41 after Hiedeman’s fast-break layup. Hiedeman scored nine points in the opening three minutes of the fourth.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 18 points and the Indiana Fever wrapped up the regular season with an 83-72 win Tuesday night over the league-leading Minnesota Lynx, who were resting MVP candidate Napheesa Collier.
Indiana (24-20) scored the first 10 points of the game and led by as many as 24, an impressive performance without star Caitlin Clark, who has only played 13 games this season and will not play in the playoffs that begin Sunday.
Odyssey Sims scored 15 points for the Fever, who set a franchise record for most wins in a season. Aliyah Boston had 12 points and eight rebounds, breaking her own club record for rebounds in a season with 361.
Indiana Fever’s Aerial Powers (23) is defended by Minnesota Lynx’s Anastasiia Olairi Kosu (7) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in Indianapolis.
Darron Cummings / AP
Jessica Shepherd, starting in place of Collier, scored 16 points for the Lynx (33-10), who play their last game at home Thursday against Golden State. They finished 2 of 20 on 3-pointers.
Minnesota locked up the top seed on Aug. 30 but has only gone 5-5 in its last 10 games.
Indiana doubled up the Lynx 28-14 after one quarter and it was 49-36 at halftime.
Minnesota scored the first nine of the third quarter, getting within 49-45 when Alanna Smith drilled the Lynx’s first 3 of the night. But Indiana pulled away again and led 70-53 after three quarters.
The Minnesota Lynx are entering their last week of the regular season before heading into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. Before the postseason begins, the franchise is already celebrating two Lynx legends entering the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame: Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles.
Moore was a crucial turning point in the trajectory of the Lynx franchise. As the first overall draft pick in 2011, Moore led the team to their first championship her rookie year.
Fowles joined the Lynx in 2015, a key contributor to the team’s third and fourth championships in 2015 and 2017. Fowles used this induction moment to thank the team that earned her two WNBA titles.
“To the Minnesota Lynx, damn, we did that. Thank you for challenging me and helping me elevate my game,” said Fowles.
Moore used her time on stage to give a message to the next generation of women’s basketball players.
“Don’t miss out on learning from someone more experienced than you, the joy of helping someone else get better,” said Moore, “The joy of having people around you that believe in you, and you believe in them. Seek that culture out. Be a part of that culture.”
The induction ceremony happened in Springfield, Massachusetts, but here in Minnesota, the Lynx fandom watched on. A Bar of Their Own in Minneapolis, which is a business dedicated to only carrying women’s sports on their TVs, held a watch party for the Hall of Fame ceremony.
Erica Mauter was there.
“This Hall of Fame ceremony moment is a chance to look back and reflect and celebrate and remember how we got here,” said Mauter.
As a Lynx season ticket holder since 2004, Mauter witnessed the dynasty years when Fowles and Moore were on the roster and understands the magnitude of this moment.
“The WNBA is truly the best of the best players in the country, if not in the world, and Hall of Famers are the best of those best. This is like the 1%, not even, of women’s basketball players,” said Mauter.
Moore and Fowles join Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen in the Hall of Fame. This is the first time four players from the same WNBA team have achieved this high honor.
“Let’s not take that for granted, that is special, that is unusual,” said Mauter.
Other basketball players inducted into the Naismith Class of 2025 Hall of Fame included Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Sue Bird.
Now Moore and Fowles will join their former teammates in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend when they are enshrined as part of the 2025 class, along with Sue Bird. Whalen was inducted in 2022 and Augustus entered the Hall of Fame in 2024.
It’s the first time that four players from the same WNBA team will be in the Hall of Fame. The Boston Celtics hold the record with nine players from their 1962-63 NBA championship team in the Hall.
“That’s one of the things that the legacy of our team, our culture at Minnesota, was we were committed to each other,” Moore said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We had a core that stayed together longer than any other I think, in the history of the league.”
Augustus and Whalen will be at the Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday presenting their former teammates. Whalen is currently an assistant coach with the Lynx, who play Saturday at Golden State, but she will skip the game to be at the Hall of Fame.
“I told Lindsay I didn’t want her to miss the ceremony,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said.
Reeve, who is enjoying a Hall of Fame-caliber career of her own, would like better collaboration between the WNBA and the Hall so that teams could attend the ceremony and celebrate former players.
Lindsay Whalen, Sylvia Fowles, Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson and Maya Moore celebrate after the Minnesota Lynx defeating the Los Angeles Sparks 67-65 during Game 1 of the WNBA basketball Western Conference semifinals in Minneapolis, Friday, Sept. 18, 2015.
Ann Heisenfelt / AP
“It’s special to be a part of and it’s not every day you get a Hall of Fame nod, to not be a part of it is brutal,” she said.
Reeve was the architect of the championship run during which her team reached the Finals six times in that seven-year stretch.
“Four of the dynasty are in, it’s one of the best runs we’ve ever seen maybe second only to the Comets who won four in four years,” ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said of the Lynx quartet. “Looking at WNBA championship teams, they are the only ones with four in. It brings home again how incredible those Minnesota Lynx teams were in an era when you couldn’t build super teams. They built that the old fashion way, Maya was in the draft, Seimone was in the draft, Whalen was a trade, Syl was a trade.”
The dynasty started its run when the Lynx drafted Moore with the first pick in 2011 and won the title that season. They were champions again two years later with Moore winning Finals MVP honors.
After falling short in 2014 of reaching the WNBA Finals for the only time in that span, Minnesota added Fowles in a mid-season 2015 trade.
The 6-foot-6 Fowles made an immediate impact, earning MVP honors in the Finals that season and then again two years later when the franchise won the last of its four championships. A loss to Los Angeles in a decisive Game 5 in the WNBA Finals a year earlier fueled that final title.
“It definitely left a bittersweet taste in your mouth. I mean, credit to L.A,” Fowles said. “When you don’t achieve that goal and you are just one step away, getting a rebound, blocked shot, a putback whatever the situation may be. It definitely gives you that hunger to make you want to go back and chase that dream all over again.”
Fowles, who retired in 2022 as the WNBA’s career rebound leader, went on to be the league’s MVP and Finals MVP in 2017. She also has been the connecter to the current Lynx group that fell just short in the WNBA Finals last season and currently has the best record in the league and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.
“When I got there in 2015 they showed me the ropes and I thought it was very important that the next generation also understood,” Fowles said. “These are the things that we do here, and you can change it up a little bit, but these are your core values of what we stand for. This group definitely gave into that.”
Fowles is proud of the current team and how they’ve continued “the Lynx way” that Whalen, Augustus, Moore help start.
Now the four will forever be enshrined together in the Hall of Fame.
NOTE: The original airdate of the video attached to this article is Dec. 2, 2024.
A’ja Wilson had 31 points and eight rebounds, Jackie Young added 20 points and the Las Vegas Aces beat the first-place Minnesota Lynx 97-87 on Thursday night to set a franchise record with their 13th straight victory.
Wilson scored 30-plus points for 12th time this season to tie a WNBA record.
Las Vegas (27-14) snapped a six-game losing streak in the series, with its last victory over the Lynx coming on May 29, 2024. The Aces moved into a second-place tie with Atlanta (27-14) and Phoenix (27-14), five games behind Minnesota (32-9).
The Aces went ahead 63-55 five minutes into the third quarter after 3-pointers from Jewell Loyd and Young. Las Vegas finished the quarter up 70-66 after a buzzer-beater layup from Chelsea Gray.
Las Vegas Aces forward NaLyssa Smith (3) tries to steal the ball from Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith (8) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Las Vegas.
John Locher / AP
Wilson hit her only 3-pointer of the game halfway through the fourth to extend the lead to 81-71.
Natisha Hiedeman scored 22 points off the bench for Minnesota, 11 in the fourth quarter. Courtney Williams added 14 points and Napheesa Collier had 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
Las Vegas shot 55.1% from the field, including 11 of 24 from 3-point range.
The Aces, who lost by 53 points to Minnesota in their last meeting on Aug. 2, became the seventh team in WNBA history to reach 13 wins in a row in a single season.
NOTE: The original airdate of the video attached to this article is Aug. 28, 2025.
Napheesa Collier scored 25 points, Natisha Hiedeman added 20 points and a career-high 10 assists for her first double-double, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Dallas Wings 96-71 on Monday night.
Courtney Williams added 15 points and nine assists for the Lynx (32-8), who already wrapped up the No. 1 overall seed for the playoffs. Bridget Carleton had 12 points.
Paige Bueckers scored 17 points for the last-place Wings (9-33). Maddy Siegrist, Amy Okonkwo and Diamond Miller each added 12.
Collier and Williams both shot 7 for 10 as the Lynx made 55% (36 for 65) but Collier was 4 for 4 from 3-point range. Hiedeman was 4 for 5 behind the arc and Carleton 4 for 8 as the Lynx went 14 for 24 (58%). They also had 29 assists.
Dallas was 3 for 15 from long range and shot 39% overall.
Minnesota rested Kayla McBride, and DiJonai Carrington stepped into the starting lineup but did not play in the second half with a shoulder issue.
Collier had 11 points in the first quarter when the Lynx scored the last two baskets to take a 25-21 lead.
Dallas tied the score at 32 on Bueckers’ jumper with four minutes left in the second quarter but Williams, Carleton and Hiedeman hit consecutive 3s for the Lynx. After Siegrist scored inside for the Wings, Collier hit a 3 for a 44-34 lead just inside the two minute mark. It was 48-41 at the break.
Hiedeman had 10 points in the third quarter with her late 3 making it 71-59 entering the fourth.
Minnesota dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring the Wings 25-12.
The Lynx start a three-game road trip at Las Vegas on Thursday when the Wings are at Golden State.
Skylar Diggins scored 19 of her 23 points in the second half, Nneka Ogwumike had 12 points and nine rebounds, and the Seattle Storm rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Lynx 93-79 on Thursday night.
Seattle, which trailed 39-18 midway through the second quarter, tied its second-largest comeback win in franchise history.
Kayla McBridehad 20 points with five 3-pointers to lead Minnesota (30-8), which lost for just the second time in 20 home games this season. A win would have secured the Lynx home court advantage for the entire playoffs.
Seattle closed the third quarter on a 25-6 run over a six-minute span to take a 67-63 lead, capped by 3-pointer by Diggins with 0.6 seconds left.
The Storm scored 34 points in the frame — after scoring just 33 points in the entire first half. Seattle was 12 of 19 from the field in the third, including 7 of 11 from 3-point range.
Courtney Williams #10 of the Minnesota Lynx looks to pass against Dominique Malonga #14 of the Seattle Storm in the third quarter at Target Center on August 28, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Storm defeated the Lynx 93-79.
David Berding / Getty Images
Seattle made four of its 16 3-pointers in the fourth.
Gabby Williams added 16 points for Seattle (21-19). Dominique Malonga and Erica Wheeler each added 13.
Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams each scored 18 points of Minnesota. Williams also had 10 assists.
Minnesota outscored Seattle 25-12 in the first and then started the second on a 6-0 run for a 19-point lead. The Lynx led 46-33 at halftime behind 28 combined points from Williams and McBride. Five of Seattle’s 11 field goals in the first half were from 3-point range.
Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve was called for a technical foul at the end of the third after Diggins appeared to be shouting at the Lynx bench following her 3-pointer.
Kayla McBride scored 29 points, Jessica Shepard got the second triple-double in franchise history, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Indiana Fever 95-90 on Friday night.
The Lynx (29-7) snapped a two-game losing streak and are 7-3 in their last 10 games.
Shepard finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists on 10-for-11 shooting while playing all 40 minutes. She joined Moriah Jefferson as the only Lynx players to record triple-doubles in franchise history.
She completed her triple in just 21:57 of action, the fastest in WNBA history. Previously, the record was set by Seattle’s Skylar Diggins on July 28, at 22:51 of play.
McBride added five assists, and was 10 for 19 from the field. Natisha Hiedeman had 17 points in 26 minutes off the bench.
Minnesota Lynx’s Kayla McBride (21) is defended by Indiana Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell (0) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis.
Darron Cummings / AP
Kelsey Mitchell scored 27 points to lead Indiana (19-17), and Lexie Hull had a career-high 23.
Shepard had a double-double at the half with 11 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds. Minnesota took the lead for good off Shepard’s driving layup early in the third quarter, and outscored the Fever 32-17 in the period.
With four minutes remaining in the game, Indiana went on a 10-4 run, but their comeback came up just short.
Shey Peddy started off her Fever career with three straight 3-pointers after joining the team on a seven-day hardship contract on Wednesday. She finished with 10 points in 16 minutes.
Caitlin Clark missed her 14th straight game with a right groin injury.
The teams last met in the Commissioner’s Cup championship on July 1, a 74-59 Indiana victory.
Up next
Lynx host the Fever in the second game of a home-and-home on Sunday.
NEW YORK — Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said the WNBA championship was “stolen” from the Lynx during her complaints about the officiating Sunday night.
The New York Liberty beat the Lynx 67-62 in Game 5 in overtime, getting there after a disputed foul gave Breanna Stewart two free throws that tied the game with 5.2 seconds remaining in regulation.
“We know we could have done some things, right, but you shouldn’t have to overcome to that extent,” Reeve said. “This s*** ain’t that hard. Officiating is not that hard.”
Reeve, who has led the Lynx to four WNBA championships and coached the U.S. women to an Olympic gold medal this summer in Paris, said she was aware there would be headlines about her complaining.
“Bring it on,” she said, “because that s*** was stolen from us.”
The Liberty shot 25 free throws, while the Lynx went 7 for 8. Minnesota was called for 21 fouls to New York’s 17, with All-Star forward Napheesa Collier, the WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, fouling out.
Reeve took particular issue with the foul on Alanna Smith with Minnesota holding a 60-58 lead. Stewart drove into the lane and appeared to take the shot before there was any contact. The Lynx challenged the call, but it was upheld after video review.
Reeve called the contact “marginal at best.”
“This sucks,” she said, after mentioning faulty officiating in Minnesota’s loss in the 2016 WNBA Finals. “This is for a championship, for both teams. Let them decide it. What contact is legal should be the same for both teams.”
Had the Lynx won Sunday night’s game, it would have marked a record fifth WNBA championship. Instead, the Liberty earned their first ever title.
Reeve was the WNBA’s Coach of the Year this season after leading the Lynx to a 30-10 regular season.
The New York Liberty erased an early 12 point deficit and beat the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in another overtime thriller on Sunday to claim the first WNBA title in franchise history on Sunday.
NEW YORK — As confetti fell and Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” blared through the arena, the New York Liberty celebrated the end of a 27-year odyssey.
The team that always fell short, starting from their days in Madison Square Garden, through detours to Radio City Music Hall and Westchester County Center, finally found their way to the top.
Start spreading the news, indeed: There’s finally a pro basketball champion in New York again after a 67-62 overtime win over Minnesota in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday night.
“I’ve been manifesting this moment for awhile, There’s no feeling like it,” Breanna Stewart said. “Credit to Minnesota they gave us a tough series. The fans have been amazing everywhere we’ve gone. To bring a championship to New York, first ever in franchise history it’s an incredible feeling. I can’t wait to continue to celebrate with the city. It’s going to be bonkers.”
Kayla Thornton, center, of the New York Liberty reacts during the third quarter against the Minnesota Lynx during Game 5 of the WNBA Finals at Barclays Center on Oct. 20, 2024.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Jonquel Jones scored 17 points to lead New York, which was one of the original franchises in the league. The Liberty made the WNBA Finals five times before, losing each one, including last season. This time they wouldn’t be denied, although it took an extra five minutes.
With stars Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu struggling on offense, other players stepped up. Leonie Fiebich started off OT with a 3-pointer, and then Nyara Sabally had a steal for a layup to make it 65-60 and bring the sellout crowd to a frenzied state.
“Whoever scores in overtime first usually wins,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said.
Minnesota didn’t score in OT until Kayla McBride hit two free throws with 1:51 left. The Lynx missed all six of their field goal attempts in overtime. After Ionescu missed a shot with 21 seconds left, her 18th miss on 19 shot attempts, the Lynx had one last chance, but Bridget Carleton missed a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left.
Stewart, who missed a free throw with 0.8 seconds left in the end of regulation in Game 1, hit two free throws with 10.1 seconds left in overtime to seal the victory.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock the players hugged and streamers fell from the rafters. Stewart and Jones hugged. The two prize free agent signees two years ago that helped get this team its first title.
New York trailed by two in regulation when Stewart was fouled with 5.2 seconds left. After a lengthy video review, Stewart calmly hit two free throws to tie the game at 60.
Kayla McBride, who finished with 21 points, had an open look for a 3, but it fell off the rim and the game went to OT.
Many of the former Liberty greats were in the audience, including Teresa Weatherspoon, who hit a half-court heave in the 1999 WNBA Finals to force a decisive Game 3 that year. That was the last time that New York had a chance to play in a championship-deciding game until this year.
Jones, who was the only player on the Liberty to compete in a Game 5 before when she was with Connecticut in 2019, earned MVP honors.
“I could never dream of this. You know how many times I’ve been denied. It was delayed. I am so happy to do it here,” she said.
Napheesa Collier scored 22 points to lead Minnesota before fouling out with 13 seconds left in OT.
The Lynx were trying for a record fifth WNBA title, breaking a tie with the Seattle Storm and Houston Comets. Minnesota won four titles from 2011-17 behind the core group of Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore. That was the team’s last appearance in the WNBA Finals until this year.
“Congratulations to the Liberty on their first championship,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. “It took them 28 years, congrats to them. We were that close to our fifth, it just didn’t happen.”
This is the first time since 2019 that the WNBA Finals have gone the distance. Since the league switched to a best-of-five format in 2005, seven other series have gone to a Game 5 and the home team had won five of those previous contests, including in 2019.
This series has been a fitting conclusion to a record-breaking season for the league. All five games came down to the last few possessions and have included two overtime games and a last-second shot, which have led to record ratings.
The first three games each had over a million viewers on average, with the audience growing for each contest. They also have had huge crowds in attendance.
Liberty fan Spike Lee was courtside over an hour before tipoff chatting with the media while wearing his Ionescu jersey. Once Ionescu finished warming up pregame, the pair had a brief exchange and hugged. Lee was part of a sellout crowd of 18,090 that helped this series set both the overall attendance record for a WNBA Finals as well as the average attendance mark.
